


Stuck on the puzzle

by SansExperience



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alpha Draco Malfoy, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, F/M, Omega Hermione Granger
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:01:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28865196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansExperience/pseuds/SansExperience
Summary: Alpha/beta/omega universe. I’m not sure what I’m doing.The non-con isn’t Draco/Hermione
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 16
Kudos: 141





	1. Chapter 1

Hermione races down the narrow spiral staircase, struggling to pin her prefect badge to her sweater.

She’s late for rounds, six minutes late to be exact.

It’s been like this all day, like she’s treading water, struggling to keep up when she’s normally ten steps ahead.

When she reaches the bottom of stairs and steps out into the dungeon corridor, she’s immediately approached by Millicent Bulstrode.

“You’ll be doing rounds with me tonight.” The Slytherin witch explains. “Pansy is on heat leave.”

“Oh.” Hermione frowns, surprised by her own disappointment. As much as she hates to admit it, she’s starting to grow fond of Pansy.

Millicent on the other hand is a nightmare to work with. She treats the job like a joke, which is probably why she isn’t a real prefect but rather a sub for when an omega prefect is on heat leave.

“I understand that this isn’t ideal..” Millicent sighs. “I know last time we did rounds together, I was a bit difficult..”

“You tried to deduct ten points from Gryffindor because of my hair.” Hermione deadpans. “You claimed it attacked you.”

She snickers. “It looked like you drank a bad batch of hair raising potion.”

“It was uncommonly humid that day.” Hermione huffs.

“Yeah, yeah, I remember you kept saying that.” Millicent mutters as she fumbles around in her bag searching for something. “Anyway, I’d like to apologize for that night.” She pulls two sugar quills from her bag, and holds one out to Hermione. “A peace offering. They’re the deluxe ones.”

Caught off guard, Hermione stands there for a moment trying to decide if it’s some sort of trick.

“They are your favorite, aren’t they?” Millicent asks looking nervous, afraid even. “Pansy said they were..” 

“Yes, thank you.” Hermione hurries, feeling guilty for suspecting the worst. For good measure, she takes the wrapper off and pops the treat into her mouth.

Millicent gives a quick smile before turning around and heading towards one of the adjacent corridors.

“Hold on!” Hermione calls out, her words somewhat muffled from the sugar quill in her mouth. “We are meant to patrol the east side of the dungeon..” 

“I know,” Millicent says without looking back. “but first I want to check out room 33. I overheard two third year wizards in the common room saying they were going to meet up there for a duel.”

Hermione isn’t sure where dungeon room 33 is but as she follows the Slytherin witch, she quickly finds herself in an unfamiliar part of the castle. The halls are narrow and the walls lined with portraits of wizards and witches from pure-blood lineage.

“I’ve never seen this part of the dungeon..” Hermione comments as she wipes sweat off her forehead. Why is it so hot here?

“Not many people have.” She answers in a haughty tone. “Pansy knows about it, not that she would share it with you. You are Muggle born after all.”

Hermione knows the comment is meant to get a reaction out of her which is why she ignores it. Unfortunately, Millicent keeps going. 

“You know she’s not your friend, right?” Millicent says trailing her hand along the stone wall as she walks. “I bet she didn’t even bother to tell you she was going on heat leave.”

Hermione sighs. “Look, clearly you feel like your friendship with Pansy is threatened but it’s not, I— “ She pauses feeling suddenly lightheaded and is forced to lean against the wall for support. “I think I need a moment.”

“You’ll be fine.” Millicent huffs in annoyance. “Come on, the room where the second years are meeting up is right down here.”

“Third years..” Hermione mumbles. Her sugar quill slips from her sweaty fingers, cracking as it hits the stone floor. Something is wrong.

“What?” Millicent asks, not bothering to stop. 

“Earlier, you said third years.” Hermione shakes her head, she’s too dizzy to stand. “Doesn’t matter. I need you to get help. I-I don’t feel well.”

Millicent looks back, nodding slowly as she takes in Hermione’s state. “Wait right there!” She shouts, as she scurries through the dimly lit passageway. “I’ll be right back with help, don’t move!” 

Hermione takes a seat on the cold dungeon floor and runs a hand over her face.

Oh god, what’s happening? She’s sweating so much, her body must be over heating. Ugh, why does every muscle in her body ache?

She pulls uncomfortably at her sweater, the soft cotton rubs like sandpaper against her skin. Each minute that passes by is feels like an eternity. Hermione is on the verge of tears when she finally hears foot steps echoing through the bare stone corridor.

“Over here.” She calls out, her voice is dry and cracked.

“Ah, so you are..” A deep male voice answers back. It’s the voice of a student, not a professor.

_Damn it, Millicent._

Her vision is blurry and the lighting is bad but as he gets closer she’s able to make out the face. Graham Montague, a year seven Slytherin and prefect. He’s known to be vicious and conniving. 

Not exactly the kind of person she’d call for help.

“Millicent was meant to send for one of the professors..” Hermione shifts uncomfortably, she hates having to rely on someone she doesn’t trust. “I need to go to the infirmary.”

“Do you?” He asks sounding amused. “Well, it’s a good thing Millicent found me then. I would have been here sooner but she did a piss poor job of explaining where she left you.” He continues to approach her slowly as if she’s some wild animal. “Luckily I could sense you, smell you..”

Hermione thinks it’s an odd thing to say until he takes another step towards her and she picks up his scent. It’s an overpowering combination of cigars, rum, and leather oil.

No, this can’t be right. As she inhaled his scent, she   
feels a significant increase in her energy and magic. 

Her body still hurts but she no longer feels immobile. That tells her that his scent isn't healing her, no, it’s more like a fight or flight response. There must be something in his scent that her beta instincts recognize as a threat. 

“Stay there.” She mumbles.

Montague hesitates a moment before he stops and raises his hands. The movement is meant to convey that he isn’t a threat but it’s a lie. She can see it in his eyes, the way he watches her every movement, calculating when to strike.

“I’m going to take you to the infirmary,” His voice is gentle but strained. “Is that alright?”

No, nothing about this is alright but she doesn’t want him to know that she senses danger so she nods in agreement. She’ll be sure to walk behind him.

He licks his lips. “Good. I’ll have to carry you because—“

“No!” Hermione shouts in panic. Something dark flashes through his eyes and she is reminded of just how vulnerable she is right now. “I mean.. I think, with some help, I can walk.”

In all honesty, she could probably manage it on her own but there’s no way of knowing if it’ll stay that way.

He grimaces. “I really must insist.” His posture is rigid, and it seems as though his good guy facade is hanging on by a thread. “In fact, I think since you’re in pain I should stun—“

Hermione is on her feet with her wand pointed at him before he can finish speaking. Adrenaline courses though her.

“You stubborn witch!” Montague roars.

_There he is._

“Walk away, Montague.” She warns keeping her wand pointed straight at him. “Now.”

He doesn’t seem frightened by her threat, if anything he seems to relax a bit. “Here’s what’s going to happen” His voice is a deep growl and the vibration of it runs through her. “You’re going to put your wand away and stay where you are until I say otherwise.”

Laughter is climbing up her throat but she swallows it when the magic of his command begins to settle over her. She fights for control of her own body but it’s no use, her wand is placed back inside her pocket.

“What is this, how—“ She falters, attempting to move her feet but it’s like she no longer controls them. “Tell me!” She demands as her mind searches for an answer.

The magic of it doesn’t match the nature of the imperius curse, there is no trace state or calmness.

A look of triumph spreads across Montague’s face. “Oh, don’t tell me you don’t know an alpha command when you hear one..” His give her a wide grin, showcasing his small teeth and rather large gums. “I thought you were meant to be intelligent.”

He’s lying, trying to mess with her head. Alpha commands don’t work on betas, not like this anyway. 

Unless... could he have dosed her with an O-inhibitor potion?

Hermione lifts her chin. “As if you have any idea what intelligence looks like.”

“Oh, that’s not nice.” He says feigning hurt. “Maybe I need to put that dirty little mouth of yours to better use.”

Hermione visibly flinches at his words.

She’s angry and frightened. Everything in her is telling her to fight back but she has to restrain from using wand-less magic right now. It’s one card she has left to play and he can’t know about it, not until she can move again.

He laughs. The sound isn’t maniacal or dark, but instead it’s filled with excitement and joy, which is somehow worse. “You understand my meaning. Maybe you’re not the perfect little prude everyone believes you to be.”

He won’t touch her, she won’t let him. Even without a wand, she still has her magic, she still has her mind.

If she can be sure she’s under the influence of an inhibitor potion she could use that to her advantage but how would—

Millicent, the sugar quill. She planned this with him. 

Hermione’s pushes back the storm of emotions she feels at the realization because as much as it upsets her, it also gives her an edge. Omegas have certain weaknesses when it comes to alphas but it works both ways. 

“I can see the wheels in your head turning.” Montague chuckles. “That it, Granger! Maybe if you can just think about it hard enough than it’ll go away.”

_Here’s hoping._

Hermione grabs her stomach and hisses as if she’s in pain.

“Shit.” Montague’s eyebrows furrow with concern. “Does it hurt that bad?”

“Another alpha is coming.” She lies, watching as panic spreads across his features.

“Fuck.” He looks around, no longer looking like a predator but instead prey. Who is he so afraid of? “This is your fault.. he sensed your distress. If you had just let me stun you— fuck! We have to be fast...” He looks around again. “No wand, but you can walk again. You will fo—“

“Petrificus Totalus” she shouts, rendering him paralyzed and unable to speak.

His stiff body falls backwards hitting the floor with a loud thud.

Hermione lets out deep sigh but her relief is short lived. A dark, warm, masculine scent clouds the air around her. It’s unbelievably intoxicating.

Her symptoms come rushing back ten fold. Two steps is all she can manage before her knees go weak and she’s grabbing at the wall for purchase.

Her vision start to blur and blacken around the edges, a pair of grey Oxford shoes is the last thing she’s sees before everything goes black.


	2. Chapter 2

_It’s like she’s been dreaming for far too long._

_Every so often moments come, moments like this one where she feels almost lucid. She becomes aware of the pain, not just physical pain but the ache of rejection, the fear of inadequacy_

_No, that can’t be right. She’s not inadequate, she’s brilliant, everyone says so. But if that’s the case then why is she alone? Why didn’t he stay and take care of her?_

_She still finds comfort in his lingering scent. Amber, cinnamon, and dragons-blood wood._

_She has the memory of another scent, that one only brings fear. She knows that something terrible happened but the details are just out of reach. —- No, not happened, almost happened._

_”Give her another dose.” A deep voice says_

_The proof is in the broken feather, don’t leave it behind— No, the nonsensical thoughts are coming back, she’s loosing her lucidity.._

..

_Darkness surrounds her but for the first time in what feels like forever, Hermione is relaxed and pain-free._

_”She’s not waking..” A soft feminine voice comments._

_“The wide eyed potion will need a few moments to take effect. She’s been out for several days.” A deep raspy voice explains. “Ms. Granger? Can you can hear me?”_

Hermione opens her eyes, blinking rapidly as she adjusts to the lighting in the small hospital room. 

It should alarm her, waking up here, but she can’t find it in her to care. All her worries are currently being smothered under a warm blanket of peace. 

A young man stands to the right of her bed, slowly running his wand over the length of her body. He’s tall and handsome, with bronzed hazel skin that glows in contrast to the lime green robes he’s wearing. 

_Alpha_ , a small voice inside her head whispers.

Their eyes meet and he smiles softly. “There you are..” It's the same deep voice that coaxed her out of the darkness. “How are you feeling?”

Hermione opens her mouth to tell him she’s fine but her voice is unexpectedly croaky, and her intended words come out sounding like a dying frog. 

She attempts to swallow but her mouth is too dry. It feels like she swallowing glass. 

“Drink this.” A female voice grumbles from her left side. 

Hermione’s shoulders jump in surprise, she hadn’t realized anyone else was in the room. 

Sitting up, she turns to her left to see a petite red-head holding out a glass of water which Hermione eagerly accepts. 

She quickly gulps it down. “Thank you.” She says softly, relieved to hear her voice is back to normal. 

The witch rolls her eyes and makes her way over to a large cupboard in the corner of the room. 

Hermione watches her with a blank stare.

The woman seriously needs to work on her bedside manner. 

“Now then, how are you feeling?” The alpha repeats.

Shifting her attention back to him, she replies, “I feel fine, calm— maybe a bit too calm, actually.” 

“Ah, yes, that’s very perceptive of you. I gave you some draught of peace.”

Being called perceptive is hardly a compliment yet upon hearing it, a pleasant warmth runs through her. She instinctively begins to rub her neck, gasping when feels the gland there. 

“Erm, I'm assuming you're my healer.." Hermione says quickly, attempting to brush off her inappropriate physical reaction. 

The alpha runs his hand through his dark brown hair, looking frazzled. “Oh, I— yes. Have I not? I'm your Healer Mungos- wait, no—“ He groans in frustration. “You’re at St.Mungos. I’m Healer Winger, and over there,” he motions to the witch who is now rifling through a shelf of potions. “Is my assistant Karasu—“ 

“I’m a mediwitch now, you giant prat.” The redhead shouts without turning around. 

She sounds genuinely upset but Healer Winger chuckles. “Don’t mind her, it’s just banter— well, not the mediwitch part, that’s true. She passed her exams last week.”

“Oh, congratulations." Hermione offers reflexively. 

The witch looks over her shoulder, and gives a sarcastic smile. “Gee thanks!” She replies in an overly sweet voice. 

Hermione rolls her eyes. It’s unclear why this witch has it out fo her but she refuses to bite. 

“Anyway..“ Healer Winger begins, brushing over his colleagues behavior. “Tell me, Ms.Granger, do you remember anything about how you came to be here?” 

She goes completely still as the memories of that night come flooding back to _her._

_‘I want to check out room 33’_

_‘Don’t feel well’_

_‘You stubborn witch’_

The heavy blanket of peace she’s felt since waking is suddenly ripped off and Hermione is left shaking without its warmth. 

“Montague..” She whispers. 

“Shh, you're alright." Winger assures her, a deep rumbling is coming from his chest and it’s incredibly soothing. “You’re safe now.”

“I’m not sure if that’s appropriate..” Mediwitch Karasu mutters, as she walks over carrying a handful of potions. 

He stiffens. “I’m merely comforting my patient.” 

“Yes, in the same way an alpha comforts his—“

“Enough.” He growls. “I will not allow you to treat the patient poorly simply because you are jealous. I’m going to have to ask you to leave the room.”

“But I was told—“

He slams his hand against a metal rolling table and points at the door. “Now, Tulip!” 

Lowering her head, the mediwitch places the potions she's carrying on Hermione's bedside table and quickly leaves the room. 

Healer Winger rubs his forehead. “I’m sorry about her.”

“Are the two of you dating?” Hermione blurts out. 

“What?”   
  
Her cheeks heat. “Well, you said she was jealous and called her Tulip..” 

“No, no, it’s not like that.” He huffs in amusement. “Tulip is her first name. We’re friends, have been since Hogwarts.”

“I see.”

“She’s jealous of any girl who comes near me.” He admits. “I’m not sure how much more of it I can take.” 

Hermione shifts uncomfortably in her bed. “It’s not like she can control her feelings.”

Winger shrugs. “If she can’t be supportive then she shouldn’t be here for this next conversation.” He takes a deep breathe. “I need you to tell me what happened that night.”

Hermione’s stomach sinks. She knew this was coming but that doesn’t make it any easier.

“Alright." She mumbles. 

Healer Winger conjures up a small stool, taking seat right at edge of her bed. He listens patiently as Hermione carefully recount everything she remembers from that night.

Once finished, she lets out a deep sigh.

“You never saw his face?” He questions. “The other alpha?” 

Hermione shakes her head and he looks disappointed.

“Why?” She asks, wringing her hands. “He didn't hurt me, did he?" 

His eyes goes wide, and he starts to rapidly shake his head. “No, not at all.” His voice comes out too loud in his effort to reassure her. “He carried you to the infirmary, that's all.”

The relief that she feels upon hearing this is enough to make her finally loose her composure. Salty tears start to pour down her cheeks.

Healer Winger conjures up a blue handkerchief and hands it to her. It smells like citrus, honey, and green tea.

She dabs at her tears as he continues to speak. 

“Lucky for you that the alpha who found you was capable of occluding. Without that skill he never would have managed to get you to the infirmary.” His voice is faraway, like he's just thinking out loud. "He stayed in there with you for a while. Eventually the professors told him he needed to leave and..” he snaps his fingers. “the bloke lost it, he had to be stunned twice because he was still standing after the fist one.” 

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. "That makes no sense." She mutters "I was given an inhibitor potion, right? Even at heavier doses those potions have a mild effect on alphas."

His eyes go wide. “Right. It's, erm, it’s a bit more complicated than that.” Pressing his lips together he takes a heavy breath through his nose. “The symptoms you experienced were a result of the potion activating your previously dormant omega gene. You’re an omega, Ms.Granger.” 

The words crack her reality open and if feels like she's dreaming. Time seems to move slower and the room looks like it’s spinning.

An omega..

It’s impossible, she knows that. Yet at the same time it rings true, like part of her has known it all along. 

It reminds her of the moment she discovered her magic. That feeling of certainty even when her mind insists it can’t be true. 

“But, I’m a Muggle born..” Hermione breathes. “Half-blood omegas are rare but a muggle-born, that’s unheard of.” 

“That’s true but— Look, I know this is a big shock but we ran the O-hormone test twice.”

Hermione searches her mind for an answer, something that can make sense of this. 

“Did you run them on the same night?” She asks "Because I read that O-inhibitors can cause false readings.” 

His plush lips turn down. “An extraordinary amount of it would need to be consumed, far more than the mere drops you ingested.” 

She opens her mouth the argue but stops because.. being an omega, it would explain a lot. Like why intelligence and magical ability is far beyond what a beta is believed to be capable of. Her features, figure, and petite frame. 

Ron always says that she’s a walking example of everything an omega is without the omega part. 

Damn it, she’s an omega. God, no, this means she’ll have to deal with— 

“Shouldn’t I be in heat?” Hermione asks feeling a spark of hope. “My hormones would have been repressed for years. The moment that gene was activated I should have been thrown into rapid rebound heat.” Her tone is meant to be challenging but it sounds as if she’s begging him to agree.

He nods but it’s not a thoughtful nod like he’s agreeing with her. It’s more like he’s nodding because he approves of the question. “Merlin, you’re clever.” He breathes. “Yes, within hours of your arrival you had entered the early stages of the most violent rebound heat this hospital has ever seen. For both your comfort and wellbeing, you were put into a magically induced comma for the duration of it.” 

Hermione gasps as memories come back to her. Moments from when she was under and had managed to gain some lucidity. It was awful. She was surrounded by darkness and there,was so much pain.

“I remember..” Hermione shakes her head trying to escape   
the memories. “Only brief moments. It was horrible.”

Thousands of questions are running through her mind right now and she isn’t sure where to start. 

Healer Winger places a hand on her shoulder, he smells like the handkerchief he gave her. “You should know, it’ll never be that painful again. It doesn’t have to be painful at all, any alpha would be lucky to—“ 

The hospital room door swings open. Healer Winger pulls his hand back from her shoulder and jumps to his feet, standing tall and rigid. 

A bald middle aged man holding a brief case strides into the room. “Mr. Winger, you cannot—“

“It’s Healer Winger.” 

The man rolls his eyes. “Very well. Healer Winger, have you forgotten that you’re under strict orders not be alone with the patient?” 

Winger advances towards the stranger. “I don’t take orders from betas.”

Hermione cringes as she watches her healer act like a typical pompous alpha. 

“Right. Well, I can’t force you to leave.” The beta shrugs. “I will, however, continue to remind you of the guidelines my employer has laid out for you. I wouldn’t want to be blamed should he find your fruity little scent on this underage omega.” 

Hermione’s jaw drops. 

“I — you— this—“ He flounders before taking a deep breathe and squaring his shoulders. “You’ll regret speaking to me that way, _beta_.” He spits the last word like it’s poison, and storms out of the room. 

“Did he do anything untoward?” The stranger asks as if it’s a perfectly reasonable question.

Hermione crosses her arms. “I’m not sure who you think you are but I wasn’t finished speaking to my healer.” She huffs in annoyance. “Please call him back.” 

“I’m Joshua Envoy.” He smiles approaching her bed. “It’s my job to make sure no one takes advantage of you while your in this vulnerable state.” 

Hermione grimaces. “He was only looking out for me..” She argues but she isn’t sure if she believes it anymore. 

The wizard shakes his head. “You’re either naive, or unaware of the effect you have on wizards. Either way it’ll change soon enough.” He scoops up the handkerchief from the edge of her bed, brining it to his nose. “Sweet Cersei.” He breathes, then quickly clears his throat. “He covered this with his scent..”

Hermione shrugs, she isn’t sure why that matters. As a beta she wasn’t required to take AO dynamics. “You said something about an employer?” 

“Yes. I work for Head Master Snape.” He explains as he balances his suitcase on the side of her bed and clicks it open. Pulling out three books, he sets them on her bedside table. “These are from him start with the marked passage.” Motioning to potion bottles he adds, “Take those if you want to go back to school.” 

She sits straighter. “Am I going back today?” 

“That’s the plan.” He pulls out a gold pocket watch and checks the time. “I have to get going— but erm, I’ll send someone in a few hours to escort you to the nearest floo. Be sure go directly to the head master’s office, the wards will be open for you. “ He closes his brief case and starts making his way towards the door. 

“Will you send my healer back in?” She calls out. “I have a lot of questions.” 

“Not a chance.” He says, then pauses with his hand on the door knob. “Oh, and stay in the room, this place is swarming with alphas.” 

The moment the door shuts, Hermione downs the three potion bottles. Gagging each time at the foul taste. 

Once she’s finished she grabs the first textbook, it immediately opens to the marked passage. 

_Source Binding Potion_

_For centuries, omegas were married after their first heat. These marriages included various blood binding spells, potions, and rituals. With these rituals omegas were able to resist the commands of other alphas as long as their husband or alpha was near._

_Throughout the decades this matrimonial binding magic was slowly transformed into what is known today as a source binding potion. This potion requires the blood of the omega who will be drinking it and will only work if that blood is of the shared blood-line._

_Hormone suppression potion_

_In the absence of binding potion, an omega can use suppression potion to suppress o-hormones and disguise her designation. Unfortunately, an omega’s tolerance to this potion will grow and eventually the potion will stop working all together. Therefore, this is not a permanent solution._

Hermione’s gut sinks. Her only option is source binding potion which she knows is what her friends use. However, she’s never heard of this shared blood line but as a muggle born, she’s not really loving the sound of it. 

...

It’s early evening as Hermione arrives at the Head Master’s office in a gust of emerald flames. Smoothing her pleated skirt, she steps out of the floo. 

The room is silent apart from the light scratching of quill on parchment and soft ticking of an unseen clock. 

She looks around, finding Snape seated at his large mahogany desk in the center of the office. Tall stacks of parchment and books cover the wooden surface around him, making it difficult to see anything other than the top of his head and the tip of his feather quill moving about.

Hermione lightly clears her throat to get his attention.

He doesn’t even lift his head. 

After standing there awkwardly for a few minutes, she hears a light tapping sound from behind her. She turns to see a brown eagle, with a letter between its beak, pecking at one of the tall glass windows. 

Since when do eagles deliver mail? 

“If you wouldn’t mind..” Snape says without lifting his head. 

With a nod, she quickly walks over to the window. As soon as she’s undone the latch, a heavy breeze swings it open. 

The eagle perched on the window sill studies her for a moment and there is something off-putting about the intelligence behind its gaze. 

Hermione reaches for the letter, allowing the bird to nuzzle her hand as she does.

“Ms.Granger..” Snape drawls. 

She quickly closes the window and turns on her heal, surprised to see that all the books and parchment that had been on his desk are now gone. 

The raven haired wizard tosses a book across his desk, with a sharp wave of his wand he transfigures it into a chair before it reaches the ground. 

“Please, sit.” 

Hermione scurries over, placing the letter on his desk as she takes a seat.

He glances over at the window and frowns. “I assume you read the books I had brought to you, and that you have questions..” 

She nods enthusiastically. “I did and yes, I do.”

He motions with his hand for her to continue.

“Right, okay.” Hermione breathes. “I couldn’t find an exact definition on ‘the shared blood line’. The first book I read defined it as having magical blood but the second book, well, that one had a more literal definition. It claimed that all omegas in the shared blood line are blood related.” She pauses, assuming he will understand where she is going with this. 

He raises an eyebrow. “And?” 

“And that can’t be correct.” Hermione shrugs. “I know plenty of unrelated omegas who buy their binding potion from the same apothecary. Ginny and Luna for example.” 

“Oh, I see your misunderstanding.” He nods. “It need not be a recent relation, and if one goes back far enough, all pure-bloods are related.” 

Hermione cringes. “That’s disturbing—“ She starts but her mouth runs dry as the meaning of his words settle in. “wait, so what book is correct?”

“They both are.” He answers with casual indifference. “Magical blood was once the term used to describe those from a purely magical blood-line.” 

“That can’t be..” Panic starts to set in and Hermione struggles to catch her breathe. 

“I assure you, that particular—“

“Stop!” Hermione shouts cutting him off. “Would it kill you to show an ounce of compassion? Or maybe that blackened heart of yours isn’t capable of it.” She meets his inky gaze with challenge. “I know you understand what this means for me. I’ll be forced to obey him and every alpha I come into contact with.”

Snape grimaces “No, you will not.” He sounds mildly irritated. “You see, I’ve created a variation of a binding potion designed to work specifically for Muggle born omegas. With a few weeks, I can adjust it so that it will work with your blood.” He assures her. 

Has he lost his mind?

Unable to sit any longer, she stands up and begins to pace. 

“That’s not possible.” Hermione says shooting him a look of disbelief. “That would take a life time, even for you.”

“The better part of a decade.” He smirks “Perhaps I got lucky.” 

A decade? Oh wow, he’s not kidding..

“Why?” She asks, but the word sounds more like an accusation than a question.

“For Lily.” He answers simply. 

She stops pacing and turns towards him. “Harry’s mom?” 

“My wife.” His lips turn up as he corrects her. “Yes, I thought that would be rather obvious.” 

Hermione has always found it mind boggling that someone as kind and loving as Lily fell for someone like Snape. Then again Harry always says that Snape’s one redeeming quality is the love he has for Lily. 

“It’s just, well Lily might have been raised in the muggle world but she’s a pure-blood.”

Hermione wouldn’t be surprised if Lily wanted to help muggle borns, but up until a few days ago this potion had no real use.

“Do you hear yourself? A pure-blood abandoned in the muggle world?” Snape shakes his head. “No, Lily isn’t a pure-blood. That was a lie cooked up by Dumbledore. His idea was that if the alpha’s at Hogwarts believed Lily wasn’t susceptible to their commands, then they wouldn’t attempt any.” 

“I don’t— well, I suppose it does sound far fetched. So, why did everyone believe it?” 

“The same reason you did, because you believe the alternative to be impossible.” 

Hermione stands there for a moment trying to take it all in. 

Harry’s early childhood certainly makes a lot more sense now. His family moving around from place to place, always living in secluded areas. The group of alphas responsibility for James death.. 

Hermione plops back down into her chair. She can’t help but feel guilty knowing how much Lily suffered before she had this potion. Harry too, he had to grow up with his parents in a constant state of unease—

“There’s no need for guilt, Ms.Granger.” Snape says reading her thoughts. 

Hermione nods solemnly. “I’m assuming you want me to hide my designation until the potion is ready but what about the people who already know?”

“They have taken an unbreakable vow to assure their silence. As for the rest of the school, they believe that you were at St.Mungos with dragon-pox.” 

Hermione gulps. “What about Millicent and Montague?” 

Without showing a hint of guilt he replies, “Their memories have been altered, and I cannot punish them for something they don’t remember.” 

“Okay..” Her nostrils flare. “but you will punish them, right? Once the potion is working you could change their memories back, or alter—“

“We will discuss it later. Right now you need to make your way to the great hall, your friends are expecting you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for your comments and kudos. Sorry this took so long, I had my wisdom teeth removed shortly after posting the first chapter. 
> 
> I sort of had to set things up in this chapter but the next one will be more fun and I promise it will have Draco.


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